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Digital Branding and Marketing Strategy
 
  VIDEO
SURVIVAL OF THE
SMARTEST ADAPTATION IN THE CONCEPTUAL AGE
Survival of the Smartest Adaptation
in the Conceptual Age


Something new is happening to business…

You can’t just slap a slick image on a product and expect it to sell anymore.

Consumers are getting more sophisticated. The marketplace is getting more crowded. What used to work in advertising simply doesn’t work anymore.

The rules have changed. And your company must adapt to attract customers.

Information Overload
Overwhelming the Customer

The fact is we are being bombarded everyday with too much information.

Everyone is competing for your customers’ attention. Promotional messages are everywhere – television, radio, email, magazines, billboards, postcards, letters, door-to-door salesmen, telemarketers, in public restrooms, at Tupperware parties, guys waving signs outside pizza parlors – it’s overwhelming.

With all of these extra messages being thrown in our faces, you would think the average person would be buying more and more.

But the exact opposite is happening…

Advertising spending is going up while results are going down.

But why?

Advertisers promise us: whiter teeth, cleaner clothes, better sex, clearer skin, more friends, faster food, impeccable service, and a smoother ride.

Doesn’t everyone want that?

Sure everyone wants that…but it’s getting harder and harder to convince your customers that your products can actually deliver the benefits they promote.

It used to be that all you had to do was throw a bunch of money at an ad agency to produce flashy ads and launch an advertising campaign and you’d generate sales…this is the old model developed in the 1950’s. What worked in the ‘50’s isn’t working any more.

Customers are getting more and more skeptical…and can you blame them? Most marketing is just a bunch of highly publicized white lies.

Why 99% of Marketing is Ignored

Customers’ Assumptions That Can Hurt You

Al Rise, branding and marketing expert, writes that customers are simply turning off their “receptors” – they cannot pay attention to all of the promotional messages being constantly directed at them. It’s too much information. So as advertising expenditures go up, customers’ attention spans go down.

Customers have already put up a wall of resistance before they even learn about your company. Why??? Well, because……

the “New Customer” has three major assumptions that can hurt you:

1. Don’t Trust Ads/Salespeople/Companies: Advertisers stretch the truth and therefore cannot be trusted.

2. Loyalty Is Gone: Small companies are being wiped out by large chains and franchises…most customers will buy a toaster from Wal-Mart if there is no perceived value added by buying it from a “ma and pa shop” at $10 more.

3. Most Companies Don’t Offer What I Want: Custom shoes, custom cars, custom financial plans…”custom” is in…it’s not just in – it’s expected – and the more a customer feels you have the solution to her specific need, the more likely you are to make a sale…if your audience or offerings are too broad, the consumer automatically assumes your business doesn’t apply to her.

BEFORE you even meet a customer, you have already made a bad first impression because of the above assumptions.

 
Breaking the “Customer Barrier”
The Perfect Relationship

So…the big question is, in a world overcrowded with brands and customers’ negative assumptions, “How do you get your customer’s attention?

”It’s not about clever advertising. Have you ever had the experience of watching a really funny ad and then 10 seconds later you can’t even remember the company’s name it was promoting? That may win your ad agency some awards, but it won’t generate more sales.

And sales are what matter.

What matters is creating a believable, buyable story about your company – Crafting an irresistible offer that actually demonstrates a high return on investment. And then building a relationship with your customers.

In his book Permission Marketing, Seth Godin reveals why so many companies have such a difficult time selling their services. A strong relationship with your customers is the key and most companies have no idea how to build a relationship. They cut straight to the chase and ask for the sale before they have built the proper foundation of trust and demonstrated value. You want more than a “one night stand” with your customers – you want to build a lasting relationship that turns into years of loyalty and referrals.

So many advertisers think that selling more means coming up with a new angle or a more creative campaign – FALSE! It’s about building trust. In essence you want your customers to date you for a while…then to start to see the value you offer…and then accept your proposal for marriage (the sale). Once you have their hearts and minds, selling becomes effortless.

Tapping the Niche
Get Your Target in Sight

We live in a world of niches. People are looking for specific products and services to fill specific needs and wants. The internet has changed everything.

Which is VERY good, but also VERY scary for business.

Why?

Because it used to be that only huge companies had the money to market their businesses on a large scale. Thanks to the internet, a small two-employee cookie shop in Wisconsin can launch an internet campaign and start selling cookies around the world for mere pennies per lead.

With the internet word-of-mouth is instantaneous, obscure products are available with the click of a button, and new services are introduced almost every second.

It has leveled the playing field for all business. Which means that small companies have a chance and huge companies have more competition than they ever thought possible.

The average company only stays in business for 12 years in comparison to more than 25 years in the 50’s. One of the top ranked sites on the internet in 2004 went bankrupt the very next year (poor Atkins!). Everyone is jockeying for the number one position. And the timelines keep getting shorter and shorter.

It’s not only about how clever you are. It’s about how quickly you can adapt.

A Marketing Agency That “Gets It”
The New Marketing Model

VirtualMG follows proven marketing principles that have been around since almost the beginning of time…and we apply that to the whirlwind of change that is the business world today. We call this the “New Marketing Model.”

We show our clients how to:

1. Create a message that is genuine and appealing – and has some buying urgency built in

2. Build strong relationships with their customers

3. Cultivate leads without scaring them away

4. Convert more customers – we’re not into mere brand awareness…our goal is to capture leads and then nurture that relationship

If you’re a business and you’re looking for a better way to market yourself, we’d love to hear from you. We’d be happy to talk with you about your specific needs and goals and see if we’re a fit.

 
 
 
299 South Main Street 1700, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111     |     Phone: 801.278.1211     |     Toll Free: 866.778.1211     |     Email: info@virtualmg.com